The BTUs of BTS*.

The BTUs of BTS*.

By DavidFeb 18, 2018
BTUs (British Thermal Units) are a measure of heat output. BTS stands for 'behind the scenes,' a style of social media post that pulls back the curtain on who you are and the way you do things. Put them together, and you've got a compelling case for adding such personal-brand-boosting content to your social media strategy. Here's just one example that was blowing up my social feeds this past week:   Talk about bringing the…
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What’s your favorite SupBowl commercial? WHO CARES.

What’s your favorite SupBowl commercial? WHO CARES.

By DavidFeb 05, 2018
It's Monday, post-game 'Big Game' 2018. Every social media channel is packed with opinions about who won marketing's version of the game. And frankly, I don't care. One person's hilarious is another's blah blah. But there was something that grabbed my attention about one of the commercials shown during the game—and it wasn't the commercial shown during the game. It was the massive strategy behind it. I'll wait while you check out this story by…
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Judging a Podcast by its Cover.

Judging a Podcast by its Cover.

By DavidNov 01, 2017
ROTOMA the book is out, and needs a playmate. ROTOMA—The ROI of Social Media 'Top of Mind' is out and selling nicely (thank you very much), and we're adding a lot of new members to the Tribe Called ROTOMA almost every day. But laurels are not for sitting on, and both Spencer X. Smith (my co-author) and I are way to antsy to just let things gather dust. So what are a couple of such…
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Killer Cereal.

Killer Cereal.

By DavidSep 24, 2017
This is an excerpt from ROTOMA—The ROI of Social Media 'Top of Mind,' a new book I just co-authored with Spencer X. Smith. ROTOMA is now available at Amazon.   The when, why, and how of social is everywhere. Hundreds of Top 5/10/50 lists of ‘Must dos’ to build your social presence. Millions of words (and pictures) telling when to post, where to post, and how to post. But there’s surprisingly little about the most…
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The Real Deal.

The Real Deal.

By DavidSep 17, 2017
As I have often said (maybe too often?), American Family Insurance's DreamBank is one of the best things going in Madison's business community. This past Tuesday's event with Neal Schaffer was just the latest example of the kind of quality programming that's available to anyone interested—totally free of charge.   If you don't know of Neal, you should. Hailing out of southern California, he's a master sensei of social media who serves clients and companies…
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Unselfish Selfies—an excerpt with an extra.

Unselfish Selfies—an excerpt with an extra.

By DavidSep 14, 2017
This is the first in a series of excerpts from ROTOMA—The ROI of Social Media 'Top of Mind,' a brand-new book I just co-authored with Spencer X. Smith. The book is now available at Amazon.     The excerpt:   Unselfish Selfies. I continue to learn a lot about how to work the levers of social media simply by watching the master at work. Spencer’s the man when it comes to all this stuff, and…
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The most powerful words in marketing? Verified Purchase.

The most powerful words in marketing? Verified Purchase.

By DavidSep 04, 2017
The most powerful words in marketing? It's time to add two more: Verified Purchase. Here's a quick note to talk about something that's happened so slowly you may not have noticed: the rise in the undeniable promotional power of Amazon Verified Reviews.    Back in the day, my dad was a rabid Consumer Reports guy. I think I learned my propensity to over-analyze any purchase based on his 'no such thing as over-thinking' model for…
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Run Silent, Run Deep.

Run Silent, Run Deep.

By DavidAug 20, 2017
Oh wow. I just looked up the date of my last Getting Cre8tive blog post. It was a full month and two days ago.   That lapse violates every single thing I preach about social media. You can't be a 'thought leader' if you aren't consistently sharing your thoughts.   But there’s a good reason for this. Not only has it been a heck of an August with a family reunion vacation and the dropping…
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60 minutes in < six.

60 minutes in < six.

By DavidJul 17, 2017
Anybody who knows me at all will tell you that I'm a bit of a DreamBank booster. I've posted about this 'best-kept secret' several times, and continue to attend as many of their free presentations as I can.   Why? Because they are just so valuable.   Covering everything from introductory social media to advanced sales and marketing concepts, American Family's Business Accelerator program, curated by Program Director Chris Rudolph, is packed with great speakers…
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Serve Sushi, not Clickbait.

Serve Sushi, not Clickbait.

By DavidJul 13, 2017
In the world of social media, the term ‘clickbait’ has become a go-to descriptor for that is designed to grab your eye, garner your click, and deliver you elsewhere. It’s also got a bit of an aroma associated with it related to it’s propensity to over-promise, and under-deliver.     Clickbait can be a headline: Amazing but true! Supermodel uses all-butter diet to make weight melt away!   A listicle: What happened to them! 15…
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Step #1: One step.

Step #1: One step.

By DavidJun 28, 2017
  You know you're supposed to be social, but... For too many people, even those who know they could reap real benefits by losing their online 'lurker' status, just getting going in social media is the hardest part. With all the channel options, and too little time available in the day, how can you get maximal social lift with a minimal commitment of time and effort? Read on.   Start with the basics.   For the sake of…
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Ask Simple Questions. Share Smart Answers.

Ask Simple Questions. Share Smart Answers.

By DavidJun 21, 2017
“I just don’t have that much to say.” That’s a sentence that’s been said by countless people who know they should actively participate on social media, but don’t. For every blogger or tastemaker who loves opining at the drop of a tweet, there’s a vast majority of lurkers who can’t be bothered—or more likely, suffer from “I’m no expert” syndrome (a topic addressed throughout this book).   Get over it. If you want to ever…
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Unselfish Selfies.

Unselfish Selfies.

By DavidJun 09, 2017
I continue to learn a lot about how to work the levers of social media simply by watching the master at work. I’m talking about Spencer X. Smith, and the many techniques and posting styles he uses to fill his feeds. Here’s one of his savviest:      Seriously, the dude does not quit—and hasn’t met a name he couldn’t drop. This simple picture says a heck of a lot more than the few…
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Protect your Power Cycle.

Protect your Power Cycle.

By DavidJun 01, 2017
Creativity is such an elusive thing. But if you have to 'be creative' as a fundamental part of your 'every day of the week' job, and you're paying attention to the periods when you're most productive (or completely unproductive), you're sure to have noticed a few things about the way you work.   I found this out the hard way very early in my career as an advertising copywriter. Come mid- to late-afternoon, I could…
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The 3Ps: Ping, Promote, or Proffer.

The 3Ps: Ping, Promote, or Proffer.

By DavidMay 24, 2017
When thinking about social media, pay special attention to the second word in the phrase; media. The plural form of medium, it lumps every app, website, and service together into one all-encompassing bucket. And for many, that bucket can actually look more like a can of worms; messy, hard to disentangle, and worst case, not worth opening.   In reality, it’s not one bucket at all. It can be broken down in any number of…
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You're invited: NonFiction Branding™ at DreamBank.

You're invited: NonFiction Branding™ at DreamBank.

By DavidMay 20, 2017
I am so excited to be presenting at my favorite Madison sharing site, DreamBank, on Tuesday, July 11, 2017, from 9 to 10:15 a.m.   You can register for this FREE presentation at amfam.com/dreambank    If you've never been to a DreamBank event, check out my writeup about this amazing MSN resource: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/getting-creative-earn-free-mbia-dreambank-d-p-knudten    RSVP today to reserve your spot. I hope to see you there! - dp
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In praise of parameters.

In praise of parameters.

By DavidMay 17, 2017
For many creative types, if anything is possible, nothing is. A provocative over-statement, perhaps, but it's often true when trying to create work, art, music, poetry, and baked goods. Endless possibility is often creatively debilitating. I mean, where to start? For me, it's parameters, as in "let's tightly define the parameters of this project." Classical poetic forms? Parameters. A cogent Creative Brief? Parameters. A stretched canvas? Parameters. Grandma's rye bread recipe? Parameters. Without parameters, there's…
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Master the ABCs, not APPs.

Master the ABCs, not APPs.

By DavidMay 10, 2017
It happened again. A once rapidly rising social media platform—the hyper-locally focused, anonymous chat-oriented Yik Yak—bites the dust. A victim of its own fundamentally flawed service model, the once white-hot tech star (with a reported ~$400 million valuation at its peak) burnt out and was snapped up by Square for just $1 million.   A sad story that serves up a sobering message.   Alas, poor Yik Yak. And Vine, iTunes Ping, Orkut, Xanga, Friendster—you…
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It takes a neigh BRAH! hood.

It takes a neigh BRAH! hood.

By DavidMay 04, 2017
I originally posted this in 2013, but given the amount of bad bro behavior going on, I think it's worth an update and a repost. -dp   I ran into an HR situation today that was quickly resolved with three simple words:   1. Dude 2. Not 3. Cool   When used in combination, they form a phrase of surpassing power, an incantation capable of transmogrifying a raging jackass into a repentant basset hound.  …
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Sharing, not shilling.

Sharing, not shilling.

By DavidApr 24, 2017
A client is finally waking up to the potential of social media. Hallelujah for that. The problem is, they are rock solid certain that the best way to use it (for them) is as a always-on megaphone for their products and services. The online equivalent of dragging their catalog behind an airplane over a baseball game.   They don't “get it,” like a health club that creates a smoking station right outside their front door.…
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Earn a FREE MBiA at DreamBank

Earn a FREE MBiA at DreamBank

By DavidApr 19, 2017
99.9999% of the time I agree wholeheartedly with the maxim 'You get what you pay for.' Cheap shoes don't last. Fast food will feed, but never delight. And an education you don't pay for usually comes with a hard sell pitch for some kind of highly caveated proprietary system that 'will pay for itself ALMOST immediately.' Yeah, right. But occasionally the maxim is proven 100% wrong; and Madison is home to a great example of…
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The singer/songwritery side of DP Knudten

Sometimes the things you gotta do to feed your family aren't perfectly aligned with that which feeds your soul. Page down for lyrics and recordings of a bunch of songs.   Upcoming Shows / Saturday, 6.17.2017   Got a gig? Want more information? Fill out this form and I'll get back to you ASAP:   D.P. Knudten Press Kit Download PDF                           tattered…
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portfolio_London Bay Homes

By DavidNov 22, 2013
A custom homebuilder for the ultra-riché, London Bay Homes needed an ad to run in symphony concert programs. My thought? The buyers for these homes travel in Gulfstream jets, not VW Jettas. Let’s make an ad that looks like it should run in Vanity Fair, not New Homes Finder. It’s also another example of how I think visually. Concept/Copywriter: D.P. Knudten Art Director: Rick Tackett Agency: Miles Advertising • Denver, Colorado
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portfolio_Ski The Summit

By DavidNov 22, 2013
This is another piece from early in my career. The agency I was working at found out that the review for the SKI THE SUMMIT account was reopened at 1:45 p.m. on a Friday afternoon. Scrambling quickly, we put together a “foot in the door” piece with ad samples and broadcast reels by 5 p.m. This panel appeared on the outside of the box. The inside reveal said: “That’s exactly how we feel. We heard…
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portfolio_Alley Grant & Logan

By DavidNov 22, 2013
I was out on my own for a number of years during the virtual agency gig under the moniker Alley Grant & Logan (named for my garage office between Grant & Logan in Denver). So what did I do during those years I was out on my own? Provide “big agency” strategies and concepts to businesses that couldn’t afford “big agency” retainers & fees. These pieces highlight my niche: high quality/low price. Creative Director/Copywriter: D.P.…
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portfolio_Discover Wisconsin

By mctootNov 21, 2013
Longform? Not a problem. (from the blurb on the back) "For 25 years Discover Wisconsin has introduced television viewers to odd, interesting, delicious and delightful destinations and attractions throughout the Badger State. And now, to celebrate the first quarter-century of what has become the nation’s longest running tourism TV program, the team of storytellers at Discover Mediaworks has recreated the show in book form." "What makes Wisconsin Wisconsin? That’s the question this book was designed…
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portfolio_Breckenridge Ski School

By DavidNov 21, 2013
In the best of all possible worlds, concept precedes execution. But as we all know, this is not the best of all possible worlds. Ever get one of those “here are some pictures from our library— can you write some headlines to match them?” jobs? This series of bus boards is exactly that: photos from Breck’s photo library in search of headlines relating them to their ski school. Copywriter: D.P. Knudten Agency: Wilson Lass Imagemaker…
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portfolio_Trail Nation promo

By mctootNov 21, 2013
Check out this is sales video for a TV show concept called Trail Nation. We took the team to Ensenada for a five-day endurathon with Go Baja Ridin, a Baja California-centric motorsports tour operator. If you're at all interested in Baja via bike, you have to talk with Bruce / Bruno. (That's 10-time overall Baja 1000 champ Larry Roeseler popping a wheelie past me on the El Diablo dry lake bed at :32 and my…
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portfolio_Janesville Jets

By DavidNov 21, 2013
Every agency has a ® or ™ branding process. This is an example of the final deliverable created from the Brand BackStory™ process I crafted for Discover Mediaworks. The client in this case is the Janesville Jets, a North American Hockey League team. Get Jets Yet? This Brand BackStory was created to make sure you will. Creative Director/Copywriter: D.P. Knudten Art Director: Steve Vollmer Agency: Discover Mediaworks • Madison, Wisconsin
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